He started “in this life” at the age of 16. There are now almost 50. Fisherman, skipper, shipowner and president of the Association of Local, Coastal Fisheries Owners and Largo da Zona Oeste, Jerónimo Rato almost sounds like an environmentalist when he talks about the “defense” of his “sea” and the “men who have to work to eat”.
Ten years ago, “there were a lot of Portuguese fishermen”, but the “signs that this was changing were predictable. Only those who wouldn’t listen didn’t listen”. The sour tone of those who “there are so many in this” does not pinch Luís Vieira, former Secretary of State, and Teresa Coelho, current Secretary of State for Fisheries – “people who know this”.
“Do you know what we have today? A dozen fishermen from Peniche and 10 or 12 shipowners. On the ships, the crew is now Indonesian and now, because there were more, few Guineans. And retired fishermen. 50% of the seine fishermen are retired, but they are on board as non-seafarers, as if they were going for a walk, to watch the fishery. The day there is a serious accident … it blows up.”
The sentence is said in a defiant tone. A break. A cigarette. “Fishing is illegal.”
Illegitimacy? The response appears to be paused. to wait? It’s not possible. These people have to work to eat. What do the shipowners do? They go out to sea almost every day,” he says.
The “good” of the last decade makes Jerónimo Rato “proud”. They did, he says, what “those in Brussels don’t know how to do. Their policy is to cut quotas and only quotas, that’s all. MEPs know nothing about this life”.
“In these ten years we have been able to improve fish stocks. We have closed the anglerfish and rays to trawling through a closed season that we have created to coincide with the peak spawning periods. And we have black sea bream and the white scabbardfish reclaimed and a ban, creating a reserve on that mountain. It was us, no one else. You don’t need as many restrictive measures as Brussels imposes on us. It is achieved with simple and lighter measures.”
And in ten years? “In ten years? The fishing won’t stop, but it’s no use. And maybe five years will be enough. There will be fish, but we won’t have fishermen or boats. And you know what? How can the fishery be protected ? by three ministries? We are ruled by everyone and no one realizes it.”
Source: DN
